Astrophile [J.P]

Chapter 41

~ It's no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help,

It's no secret that a liar won't believe anyone else. ~

***

The infirmary was full to the brim with students flowing in and out of the doors, checking up on their fellows who were recuperating from all the damage done in the attack. Madam Pomfrey was constantly kicking people out, saying that the patients needed rest. 

But there was one bed which was rather crowded and she couldn't kick out as many students for each time she manged to take one out, she would return to find even more huddled around. And that lucky patient, or unlucky if you look at it from Poppy Pomfrey's perspective, was none other than Peter Pettigrew. 

His friends had made sure he had everything he could wish for, including a box of chocolates from Remus as well as food from the kitchens smuggled in by Sirius and James. They knew out of them, Peter was the most scared of having to deal with injuries and medications, so they ensured to distract him in all the ways possible.

Marlene was walking around the infirmary with a sling on her arm cheerfully chatting up with the students cluttered in, but refusing to get into a bed herself much to the matron's irritation. Because according to her there were people hurt far worse than a minor fracture so she wanted them to be given priority first.

When it was curfew at last, Madam Pomfrey finally called the Professors to threaten the students to leave. Most of them had even had dinner in the infirmary with their injured friends instead of sitting in the Hall and seemed quite eager to spend the night there as well, had it not been for Professor McGonagall's strict order of returning to the common rooms.

James and Sirius made their way up the Gryffindor tower rather halfheartedly for their two friends were down in the Hospital Wing and according to them, the dorm would be so less like their own in Remus and Pete's absence.

"I can't sleep," James sat up, switching on the lights in the dorm after fifteen minutes of uselessly moving about in his bed, "it's so silent in here. You haven't gone to sleep, have you Siri?"

"Nope, I'm reading," Sirius threw off the blanket from his head revealing a tiny book in his hands while his wand was illuminated to provide enough light for reading.

"You... Reading?"

"Don't be so astounded, these days I can't go to sleep without finishing a story or two. Fel lent me a few of her old Muggle books and trust me, they are so funny that you'll love to read too."

"No thanks, you know I can't read to save my own life," James remarked though he had climbed on top of Sirius's bed instead, "but I would love to listen." 

Sirius scooted over so that their was enough space for his best friend and shared his blanket. It was not a new thing for them. Back when they were in second year, Sirius had run off from his house in the Summer Break and turned up at the Potter household. With James's help he had climbed inside through a window and slept in his room, until morning when Euphemia had been really surprised to see two kids instead of one in James's room. Then Fleamont had taken him back to Grimmauld's Place after making sure the boy had had proper breakfast and was no longer afraid of returning to his parents. Though it is safe to assume that Walburga hadn't been the least cordial to poor Fleamont Potter.

He still recalled those early days in Hogwarts whenever he had had nightmares, he would go to James and forget about them because the boy had a remarkable sense of humor and was extremely adept at distracting him from his worries.

"Look, Muggles also have magic stories," Sirius flipped back a few pages, "but their concept of magic is so bizarre. Apparently Snow White's stepmother was a dark sorceress who concocted potions to instill a Sleeping Death on the poor girl. But the potion's spell could be broken by love's first kiss. Then she transformed into an old hag to deliver the poisoned apple to her only to get killed by falling off a cliff in the forest. How inconvenient is that..."

"So like you don't want the potion's spell to be broken or were you sad that the queen gave up her good looks to become an old hag?"

"Both. Like who in their right mind would give up his or her good looks for revenge? Not me. Plus, she was kinda dumb. I mean she could have sent the apple instead of going there herself. Or she could have taken on a more conventional form instead of an old woman who couldn't maintain her balance and end up toppling off a cliff. She should have transformed herself into the prince, perfect ending."

"And how would she have done that...?" James was getting a bit sleepy as he rested his head on his shoulder, eyes drooping close.

"Polyjuice potion, simple. But since they are Muggles, they didn't think of that."

"Right... Bugs me why you still read these when all you do is point out errors in the plotlines."

Sirius shook his head, a small smile creeping up to his face, "but that's the point, my dear friend. It is hilarious to think Fel grew up reading these sort of stories and then figured out magic was not at all like it was explained in her fairy tales. And you haven't yet heard of Cinderella. Like the incantation her Fairy Godmother uses is not even a real incantation."

"And what incantation does she use?"

"Bibbity Babbity Boo."

"She must have been high, definitely high..."

Sirius chuckled, "all the incantations in these stories are just as funny. I can't help but wonder Felicity's surprise when she would have found out that real incantations are not a string of rhyming words and the wand movement is not always an elaborate swish."

"Why do I get the feeling that you probably mentioned this to her and got kicked down the stairs?" James peeled open an eye to judge Sirius's reaction but everything was a hazy blur to him without his spectacles.

"Close enough," Sirius chuckled yet again, "thankfully she didn't kick me down the stairs but I did get punched on the nose."

"Thought so."

***